WATCH: Taoiseach says Shannon water pipeline is ‘absolutely necessary’ for future water supplies
“If young people want new homes all over the country in the midlands and in the eastern parts of the country they will need water supply,” Taoiseach says during Tipperary visit
The Taoiseach has defended plans for a major water supply pipeline from the River Shannon to Dublin, describing the project as “absolutely necessary” for the country’s future, while insisting its impact on the Shannon will be negligible.
Speaking during his visit to Tipperary today, where he attended the official opening of the new Dromineer Water Sports Facility, the Taoiseach was asked by Tipperary Live whether the proposed Water Supply Project: Eastern and Midlands Region was necessary, given the Government’s commitment to regional development and whether funding should instead be directed towards regional cities to support population growth.
In response the Taoiseach said: “I think it is absolutely necessary for the country and for the regions as well, because it will benefit the midlands in particular and it is an imperative in terms of future water supplies.”
“Its impact in terms of the Shannon and areas will be negligible and we will work with local communities and Uisce Eireann will work with local communities,” he added.
The Taoiseach also pointed to the need for greater investment in infrastructure across rural Ireland and the regions, particularly in water and energy.
“We simply have to invest,” he said, referring to the need to improve water and wastewater facilities while also expanding the country's energy infrastructure.
He highlighted the Government's planned €18 billion investment in the electricity grid, linking the need for infrastructure investment to the energy crisis and Ireland's dependence on fossil fuels.
On water supply, he said increased capacity would be essential to allow new homes to be built across the country. “If young people want new homes all over the country in the midlands and in the eastern parts of the country, they will need water supply. Otherwise we will not be able to cater for generations to come,” Mr Martin said.
He described the pipeline as a medium to long-term project and said decisions of this nature were necessary to plan for the country's future.
Uisce Éireann formally submitted its planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála on December 19, 2025. The application, which includes more than 500 reports and documents, marks a major step in the planning process for what has been described as the largest water infrastructure project in the history of the State.
The proposed development includes a 172-kilometre underground pipeline, with water to be abstracted from the Parteen Basin on the Lower River Shannon and treated at a new facility near Birdhill in North Tipperary.
From there, the pipeline would travel eastwards through Tipperary, passing areas near Birdhill, Silvermines, Ballycommon, Portroe and Cloughjordan, before continuing through Offaly and Kildare to a new reservoir at Peamount in County Dublin.
The project is intended to provide a more secure long-term water supply for the Greater Dublin Area, where approximately 1.7 million people rely heavily on the River Liffey for their water. The estimated cost of the project is between €4.58 billion and €5.96 billion.
The plans have implications for landowners along the proposed route, with around 500 landowners expected to be affected by the development. Uisce Éireann has said it will engage with those affected and has outlined a proposed community benefit scheme as part of the project.